These all have something special about them as well: Dan And’s involved the most editing (so far), Jon’s is my longest, and Jason’s is the first interview I conducted on-air via my cell phone’s loudspeaker … enjoy!
Christ Inversion - “Christ Inversion” [Housecore] … the band was formed by Phil Anselmo (Down, Pantera) back in 1994, and recorded only two demos before disbanding … this is actually a re-release of the second batch of demos, rather than a new proper album … this is dark, dank, blasphemous Black Metal in the same vein as Venom, …
Pro-Pain - “No End In Sight” [Regain] … more melodic branches emerge from the Hardcore roots the NYC quartet planted nearly two decades ago … starts strong, and reaches into some interesting territory (3 is kinda “Oi! Oi!” and 4 is Power Metally), but the second half of the album, which includes the inflammatory tracks about …
Unearth - “The March” [Metal Blade] … fourth album from one of the pillars of Massachusetts Metalcore, produced by Adam Dutkiewicz (a peer in Killswitch Engage) and mixed by Andy Sneap … the band is moving forward with more aggressive songs, a greater attention to guitar work and solos, and a defiant refusal towards clean vox … …
Don The Reader - “Humanesque” [Deathcote] … having carefully studied the Mathcore blueprint drawn up by Botch, Isis, and early Dillinger Escape Plan (to name a few), the South Bay quintet draws from this dense, dissonant palette and unleashes their full fury on their debut LP … good variety in terms of riffage, and the guitar dynamics are the band’s strongest …
Exodus - “Let There Be Blood” [Zaentz] … this will certainly polarize whoever was on the fence on this latest incarnation of the Thrash legends: a re-recording of their seminal 1985 classic Bonded By Blood … nostalgia be damned, cuz this benefits greatly from Andy Sneap’s crystal clear modern production … new(er) vocalist Rob Dukes thankfully makes no …
Book Of Black Earth – “Horoskopus” [Prosthetic] … a dreary dose of Blackened Seattle Sludge that focuses on “hidden astrological elements of the Christian Church” (someone was watching Zeitgeist!) for their sophomore release … many factors are at work in order to create their sound, blending Death, Doom, and Melodic Black Metal with sparse atmospheric …
Cradle Of Filth - “Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder” [Roadrunner] … detractors be damned, these guys are recording excellent material these days … no stranger to concept albums about the world’s most nefarious figures, they now embrace Gilles de Rais (aka Bluebeard), the French noble who once fought aside Joan of Arc before succumbing to unfathomable …
Droids Attack - “Fatal/Error” [Crustacean] … the artwork of the Madison, Wisconsin power trio’s sophomore effort is key; warm and intriguing, but also exciting and promising impending doom … dishes out more of their post-Sabbathstoner crunch of Sleep by way of Corrosion of Conformity’s [Pepper Keenan fronted] Southern stomp from the opening 11 min epic pastiche to Steven Seagal …
Lords - “Fuck All Y’all Motherfuckers” [Blackmarket Activities] … follow-up to their debut album, “Swords,” finds the Louisville, KY natives continuing the tradition that they and neighboring bands like Coliseum and Breather Resist have established in recent years … with D.I.Y. Punk ethics, stalwart Hardcore roots, and a week-old, beer-soaked crust, Lords pummel you with vicious sociopolitical commentary and have a rockin’ …